Fertilizer-distributer.



C. R. DAVIS. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER. APPLICATION IILBD 0012,1911.

1,103,272, Patented July 14, 1914. 4 SKEETS SHLET 1.

c. R DAVIS.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

APPLIGATION FILED 0OT,2,\9\1.

Patented July 14, 1914.

4 SHBBTS-SBEET 2.

C. R. DAVIS. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER. APPLICATION FILED 0012,1911.

Patented July 14, 1914.

4 SHEETS'SHEET 3.

C. R. DAVIS. FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER. APPLICATION IILED 00T.2,1911.

1,103,272. Patented July 14,1914.

4 SHEET--SHBET 4.

E 55 e :77 t z 5 56' J6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN R. DAVIS, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS: ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BYJYIBSNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO EMERSON-BRANTINGHAM COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A COB- IORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

Speciiicatioxi of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Application filed October 2, 1911. Serial No. 652,371.

spreaders, in which the bottom of the box or the receptacle for the fertilizer is disposed 'close to the ground to facilitate the loading of the box. I

In low down spreaders, it has hereto forebeen customary to extend the axlefor thercar carrying wheels through the beater ;ai iil this disposition did not leave the rear 'portion of the box conrenientof access lllling the loading operation and furthermore,

necessitated, in some instances, complicated fgearing between the driving axle and the beater. Another disadvantage of placing the beater on the rear axle is, that when removal of the beater is necessary for repairs the carrying-wheels and axle must be re- .moved in order to permit removal of the beater.

v The present'ini'cution designs primarily to provide an improved low down fertilizerdistributor, in which substantially all of the parts of the box or receptacle, including the .rear portion adjacent the beater are easily a ccssihlc during loadiugvaud thisobject is attained ll disposiup the rear axle of the carrying-whccls lt;ll\\';ll'tll of the box and the heater and by disposing the latter so that it wiltdischargc the fertilizer rearwardly over the axle and on to the ground. As a result of this construction and arrangement, mounting the beatcr on the rear axle is avoided and a common or simple type of gearing may be tllll lttvtil between the rear axle and the hcator. to drive. the latter at the. desired peed. Flirthcri iorc. by dispo:-;in; the rear end of the receptacle in the front of the roar axlc.tlic b x or the receptacle may he securelysuspended hctwccu the front wheels and rear 2lXl(','flll(l as close to the ground as desired, and the disposition of the heater may be independent of the rear sustain the front end a fertilizer-distributer of improved construction.

The invention consists in the sveral novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof. r

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a distributer embodying the inven- Fig. 2 is a detail perspective of the tion.

rear axle and the supporting brackets therei for. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the other side of the spreader, the central portion bemg broken away. Fig. 4 is a front elevation. Fig. 5 is a plan of the front pfortion of the machine. Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section of the rear portion of the inachine. Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 77 of Fig.6. Fig. 8 is a section on line- 88 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail of a part of the'clutch-shifter. I;

The improved spreadercomprises n pair. of rear carrying-wheels .10, a pair of .frpnt dirigible carrying-wheels 11 anda suitablebox or receptacle for the fertilizer, which is suspended between the front and rear wheels,

in such manner that the bottom of the receptacle will be disposed in close proximity. to the ground and so that the fertilizer may be readily thrown over the'sides .of'tlie box and on to the bottom thereof. An axle 13 extends through the rear wheels 10 and is sustained thereby. A'frontfaxle l l is mount ed in front wheels 11 and a draft-tongue 15 is connected to said axle in any suitable'manner. An arched bar 16 is secured to collars 174m axle .15 and is secured to one member of'turn-table' 18 which permits the'front wheels to turn so that the distributer will follow the direction in which it is drawn. An inverted arch bar 19 is secured to the other stationary member of turn-table 18 to (if .the box and its frame.

The receptacle 12 comprises sides 20 and inclined front-wall 21 extending between thesides. An endless apron 22. forms the bottom of the receptacle and is driven to cause the upper lap thereof, to more rear-wardly and feed the fertilizer toward the-back of frame ofithe machine, which comprises side hais or sills, Qtwhichare beptj ipwardlygat jacent the heater.

1 below the ovheels' so that the receptacle may be disthe rear ends to form upright end bats 25rd,?

Sides 20 are secured to sills 24 respectively, by the angle iron u rights or bars 26. The rear of the receptaci e and its frame are sustained frqmthe.rear axle'13 by a pair of brackets which are secured to the sills 24 rto."tivel v, by the bolts 28, and have bearings ii: at their rear ends through which the rear Xle 13 extends.v These brackets 28 extend upwardly and rearwardly from the-sills 24, to the rear axle, o'r forwardly and downwardly trim the rear axle to said sills so that the sills 24 and the bottom of the box will be dis osed in front of the rear-axle and iiorizontal plane thereof.

The front of the rece tacle is secured to the forwardly and u war y extending portions or arms 30 of Si is 9A, which are secured to brackets 31, which are secured to a cross, bar 32 to which said brackets are secured by bolts 33, and which is bolted, as at 4A, to the inverted arch 1 9. An angular bar 35, of angle iron is provided at each side hnd has one of'its members secured'tooneof the brackts 81, as at 36, and hasits other arm or member secured to'one'of the sills 24, as at 37. The front'21and sides 20 of the receptacle are bolted toangular bar 35 .as at 38, to make rigid the front and upper portion of the box or receptacle, more particularly a inst lateral stresses. -An angleiron crossar 39 is secured to bars 3 5 for a like purpose, and a brace 40 is secured to crossbar 39 as at 4l,' and'extends downwardly and forwardly from said'bar and has its front end secured to' the turn-table 18 as at 42. This supporting-frame constitutes and forms 'sus en'si'o'n-means for the box or reee tacle, w ich is primarily sustained by t e earryi'ng-wheels'at the front and rear respectively,'and whereby the re eeptacle will be suspended'betweeri'the said posed in close proximity to the ground and so that the fertilizer may bereadily thrown into the box and over the sides thereof, as well as into the rear portion of the box ad- Furthermorc, this construction efficiently and rigidly supports the box in such position or arrangement. Anothercharacteristic of this supporting structure is, that it permits the beater to be disposed in front of the rear axle and overcomes the disadvantages of a heater eonoentric with the rear axle.

The heater 23 may be of any suitable construetion, as well understood in the art and comprises fingers 45, and cross-bars secured to sides 46 which are secured to a shaft 47. Said shaft is mounted in bearings 48 which are secured to -frame-ends 25, so that the beater remains in fixed'relation to the receptacle. The beater is driven by a sprocket wheel 48' which is loose on the rear axle,

and is adapted to be driven from one of the arrying-wheels, through a clutch hereinafter described. A chain 40 connects said sprocket and a sprocket-wheel 50 on a stud 51, and a ear-wheel 52 rotatin withsprocket 50, um meshing with a pimon 5 3 whieh is secured to the beater shaft 47, to drive the beater from sprocket 48.

A gate or retarder'comprises fingers 55, which are connected to arms 54 so'that they may be raised into and out of operative position, as well understood in the art, but since the particular construction of this retarder forms no part of the present invention it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate or describe it in detail.

The slats '61 of endless apron 22 which forms the bottom of the receptacle, are secured to chains 62 which pass around sprocket-wheels 56 which are secured on a cross-shaft 57which' is mounted in bearings 58 secured to brackets 28. At the front of the "receptacle, chains 62 pass around sprocket-wheels 59 on a shaft 60 which is adjustablysustai'ned so that the slack 'of the apron" may betaken u as well understood in the art. The end ess apron is driven from the rear axle by a1 ar-wheel 63 which is fixed on said axle an which is provided with three annular seriesof' r-teeth for driving a pinion'fi f'at the di erent s eeds' shaft 65 which has a worm-pinion 66 thereon, which mesheswith a worm-gear 67 on:

shaft 57. By'meanspfthis driving-mech-i anism, the endless apron will be driven to; move the fertilizer in the receptacle back-j ward] and to feed it to the beater. 5

Pinion 64 is slidably mounted and con-5 nected to a rod 7 whereby the pinion may; .be shifted into or out of engagement with either of the series of teeth on gear 03 or into the spaees between the series of teeth,- The front end of'rod 73 is connected ton! lever 72 which has its fulcrum connected to one of the arms 85 on cross shaft 71 to which a foot lever 70 is secured. 71 also: carries a rack 72 which has an arm or ex tension thereon through which rod 73 passes; \Vhen foot-lever 70 is operated, shaft 71; will be rocked to bodily shift lever 72, rack 72 and rod 73 suilicient to shift pinion (H into or out of engagement withone of the series of the teeth on wheel 63. By adjust ing lever 72 about its fulcrum and locking it in different position with respect to rack 72, rod 73 may be adjusted to brin pinion 64 into operative relation with either o the series of teeth on gear wheel 63. Shaft 71 is jou'r'n'kld in brackets 74 which an secured to frame-arms 30. The pnrticulai construction of the gear-mechanism for con trolling the operation of the beater and thmechanism for driving the apron is not claimed in this a 'iplication.

lho driving mechanism for the beater,

may be rtndered inoperative from the rear.

axle by a clutch which comprises members 48" and To one of which consists of clutch teeth on .sPlOCliQC wheel 48 which is mounted on axle 13. and the other which consists of a series of teeth on a driving collar 76, which is secured to said axle. A sectionall v-formed controlling collar 77 has an annular rib fitting in a groove in the hub of sprocket 48* for sliding the sprocket on axle 1213 and has angular ribs 78 which fit between lugs 79 on one of the bearings 29 on abracket 28, so that by rotation of said collar, sprocket, a8 and clutch member 48 will be thrown into or out of operative relation with the other clutch-member 76. This collar 77 is controlled by a rod 80 which extends through an arm 81 on said collar, and is provided with a nut 82 for shifting the arm in one direction, and has a spring 83 engaging the other side of said arm to yieldingly shift the collar in the opposite direction, so that the sprocket-wheel 48 will be yieldingly shifted into engagement with clutch-member 76 when the heater is to be operated. Rod 80 is )i/voted as at 8- to one of the levers 54 which controls the retarder and resnltan y an additional connection or rod foroperating the clutch from one of the arms 85 on rock-shaft 71 is avoided. Each arm 54 is connected to an arm 83 on shaft 71 by a rod 86.

Gear-wheel 63 and clutehmember 76 which are secured to the rear-axle, are connected to the rear-carrying-wheels, respectively, by suitable ratchet or one-way drivingconnections, as well understood in the art. When the main lever 70 is in the position shown in drawings, the clutch which controls the beater-driving mechanism will be operative and the beater 23 will be driven, as the machine advances, from the wheels 13. The heater will discharge the fertilizer resrwardly of the box and over the axle 13. At the same time, the apron 22 will be gradually advanced to feed the ertilizer to the beater. When the lever 70 is raised the clutch for controlling the beater-drivingmechanism will be rendered inoperative by means of one of the arms 85, rod 86, lever 54, rod 50, arm 81 and collar 77. Simultaneously, the pinion 64 of the apron-driw ing-mcchan sm will be disengaged from the gear-teeth on wheel (33, to render said mechanism inoperative, by one of the arms 85, lever 72, and rod 73.

The invention thus exemplifies a lowdown spreader in which all parts of the receptacle are easily accessible for loading, and in which the heater is disposed forwardly of the rear-axle.

Thea-invention is not to be undersvood, as

restricted to the details set forth as these may be modified by the skilled mechanic within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a fertilizer distributor, the combi nation of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle having its rear end disposed forwardly of said axle. and a rotary beater having its axis disposed forwardly of said axle, mounted to rotate about .the fixed axis and disposed to discharge the material over said axle.

2. In a fertilizer distributor, the combination of the front and rear carryingwheels, a rotary axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle having its rear end disposed for \vardly of said axle, a conveyer disposed low said axle, and a rotary heater for discharging material rcarwardly from the receptacle, and having its axis eccentrically disposed with respect to said axle.

3. In a fertilizer distributor, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear wheels. a receptacle having its rear end disposed forwardly of said axle. a heater for discharging; material rearwardly from the receptacle mounted to discharge material over said axle, and having its axis disposed forwardly of said axle, and mechanism for driving the beater from. one of the rear wheels.

4. In a fertilizer distributor, the combi' nation of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle having its rear end disposed forwardly of said axle, the conveyer forming the bottom of the rcceptacle, disposed below the axle. a rotary beater for discharging material from the receptacle. having its axis cccentrically disposed with respect to said axle. and mechanism for driving the heater from one of the rear wheels.

5. In a fertilizer distributor. the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear wheels. a receptacle disposed forwardly of the axle havin; a bottom below said axle, and a rotary beater lllSl'M sed to discharge the material over said axle and having: its axis disposed forwardly of said axle.

i. In a fertiliyrr distributcr. the combination of front and rear carryin ywhcels. an axle for the rear wheels. a receptacle disoosed frrwardlv of the axle and having a bottom dispo-cd below said axle. a rotary leatcr (lispmcd t discharge the material over said axc and havingits axis disposed forwardlv of said axle. and mechanism for driving the beater from one of the rear carrying-wheels.

7. In a fertilizer distributer, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an

axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle disposed forwardly of the axle, having a bottom below said axle, a rotary beater disposed to discharge the material rearwardly and over, and, having its axis disposed f0r- Wardly of said axle. and mechanism for driving the beater from one of the rear carrying-wheels.

8. In a fertilizer distributer, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle having its rear end disposed forwardly of said axle, having a bottom disposed below said axle, a rotary beater disposed to discharge the material over said axle having its axis disposed forwardly of said axle, and mecha nism for drivin the beater from one of the rear carrying-w ieels.

9. In a fertilizer-distribnter, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle disposed forwardly of said axle, a rotary beater disposed at the rear of said receptacle, for discharging the material rearwardly from the receptacle and over the axle, and having its axis disposed forwardly of said axle, fixed journals for said beater, a movable bottom for the receptacle, means for operating said bottom to feed the material in the receptacle rearwardly to the beater, and carrying-Wheel operated driving-mechanism for the beater.

10. In a fertilizer distributor, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, a rotating axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle disposed forwardly with respect to said axle, a rotary beater disposed at the rear end of said receptacle for discharging the material rearwardly from the receptacle, and having its axis eccentrically disposed with respect to said axle, fixed journals for said beater, a movable conveyor bottom for the receptacle disposed below said axle, means for operating said bottom to feed the material in the receptacle rearwardly to the beater, and carrying-wheel operated driving mechanism for the beater.

.11. In a fertilizer distributor, thc combinati n of front and' rear caroving-wheels, an axle for the rear wheels, a receptacle having its rear end disposed forwardly of said axle, a rotary beater disposed at the rear endof said receptacle, for discharging the material rearwardly from the receptacle, and having its axis disposed forwardly of said axle, fixed journals for said bcatcr, a movable bottom for the receptacle, disposed below the plane of the axle, means for operating said bottom to feed the material in the receptacle rcr\\'ardl to (bc bcatcr. and caravingavbccl operated driving mechanism for the bcatcr.

1?. ln :1 fertilizcr distributcr. the combination of front and rear carrviugwvliccls. no

axle for the rear carrying-wheels, a receptacle disposed forwardly of the axle, an end less apron forming a movable bottom for the said receptacle and having its rear end disposed forwardly of, and below the plane of said axle, a rotar heater for discharging apron forming a movable bottom for the said receptacle, and. having its rear end disposed forwardly of. and below the plane of said axle, a beater disposed to discharge the material rearwardly from the receptacle and over said axle and having its axis disposed forwardly of said axle, and mechanism for driving the beater from one of the rear carrying-wheels.

14. In a fertilizer distribnter, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear carrying-wheels, a receptacle disposed forward] of axle .an endless apron forming a movable bottom for said receptacle, and disposed below the plane of said axle, a rotary beater for dischargingmaterial from the receptacle, having its axis disposed forwardly of said axle, driving mechanism for the beater, and carryingwheel operated mechanism for driving the apron to feed the material rear airdly to the beater.

15. In a fertilizer distributor, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear carrying-wheels, a recep tacle disposed forwardly of the axle, an end less apron forming a movable bottom for the said receptacle and disposed below the plane of said axle, a beater disposed to discharge the material rearwardly from the receptacle and over the axl and having it axis disposed forwardly of said axle, mechanism for driving the beater and mechanism for driving the apron to feed tlie'ieaterial rearwardly to the beater. v

16. in a fertilizer distrilniter, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear carrying-wheels, a receptacle disposed forwardly of the axle, supporting'brackets having hearings on said axle and extending diagonally forwardly and secured to the receptacle, and a heater for discharging the material from the receptacle having its axis eceentri ally disposed with respect to the axle.

17. In a fertilizer distributor, the combination of front and rear carryingwvhecls, a.'= axlc for thc rear carrying-whccls. a rcco; tacle disposed forwardly of tlic axle. a fram for the receptacle. su portbig-brackets hav ing bearings on the axle and extending di agonally forwardly to and secured to the frame, and a heater for discharging the material from the receptacle having its axis disposed forwardly of the axle.

18. In a fertilizer distributer, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an axle for the rear carrying-wheels, a receptacle disposed forwardly of the axle, framework for the receptacle, supporting-brackets having hearings on the axle and extending forwardly and downwardly diagonally from the bearings and secured to the frame, and a heater for discharging the material from the receptacle disposed in front of the axle.

wardly of the axle.

19. In a fertilizer distributer, the combination of front and rear carrying-wheels, an

axle for the rear carrying-Wheels, a recep CALVIN R. DAVIS. Witnesses:

E. H. SIEKMANN,

F. H. BASCHEN. 

